That Girl with the Eyes and Headphones On
by CassieRaven
Summary: Sometimes he can't help but stare at her, especially when she's walking his way with that look of hers and that smile with her headphones on.


Title: That Girl with the Eyes and Headphones On

Author: CassieRaven

Rated: T

Genre: Romance, Humor

Warnings: Alternate Universe

Summary: Sometimes he can't help but stare at her, especially when she's walking his way with that look of hers and that smile with her headphones on.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with Sailor Moon; Sailor Moon the Manga (Comic/Graphic Novel series) was created and owned legally by it's creator Naoko Takeuchi, while other companies have or had prior licensing rights to the original Anime and various reboot Anime Series Sailor Moon, such as companies being Toei Animation, Madmen Entertainment, VIZ Media, DIC Media, Cloverfield Media, etc. The characters contained herein are not mine. The only thing I own rights to or creation are if any of my original characters are in this fan fictional story. No money is being made from this fan fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only. I own nothing! Thus no need for lawsuit!

Author's Note: Greetings lovelies and fellow moonie fans! Welcome to this one-shot drabble of a sort on our favorite couple, the Odango and Baka with mentions of some of our favorite other characters randomly.

I haven't written in Sailor Moon fandom in ages, not since my high school days, so I would love to thank my fellow moonie fan, fellow author, and friend QueenRisa for always encouraging me with my ideas, expressing her kind words of encouraging me to come back to writing. This story was written for her as a fan fic Christmas gift to her from me, so I hope she enjoys this.

I will warn you that this is a completely Alternate Universe (AU) story, the girls never became senshi, Mamoru never became Tuxedo Kamen, they never fought the Dark Kingdom etc. Pretty much, the girls lived normal lives but did find another becoming friends. The mentions of certain characters lives and being coupled with certain characters are maybe different, from what you imagine or expect. But isn't that the beauty of an AU setting? I think one of the greatest things about writing any fandom in fan fiction set in an AU setting is that simply, anything can happen in a story line, plot, or anything can happen to said characters if you as a writer put your mind and creativity to it.

With that said, I hope you'll enjoy reading this and leave any positive or kind feedback in a review.

* * *

"Mamoru, why don't you go outside and just talk to her." Motoki sighed, shaking his head as he continued to wipe down the counters of the bar in Crown Arcade, as his best friend looked up from staring outside the windows where his eyes were attentively staring...waiting for someone.

"What? Who?" he murmured without looking back from staring at the window.

"Usagi that's who! The girl who was once your former arch enemy when she and my wife were in junior high school together years ago. The same girl, now woman you've been for months staring at every Tuesday, Thursday, and the occasional Friday when she walks by our windows here on her way to either the Seven-Eleven just down the block, or when she's staple gunning her shop's fliers promoting new comics, toys, or in shop sales." Motoki answered, rolling his eyes as the young doctor blushed a beet red in his cheeks.

"It's not like I watch her every day from the windows...Is it my fault that she happens to always post Kamikaze Moon's fliers and Minako's band fliers for venues they perform at on the telephone polls and post it stalls around here." Mamoru denied, taking a hold of his mug of coffee on the counter space before him where he sat, drinking his plain black cup of bitter strong caffeine.

"River of total denial! Denial I tell you! Ever since she started working at Demando and SapphireBlack's shop months ago, he's been watching her! First Since the first time he set his eyes on her the second he encountered her after coming back from medical school at Harvard in the states; he's been so into her!" Makoto's voice murmured loudly and mockingly in slight annoyance, slight amusement as she stuck her head out from working behind the cafe's kitchen stove.

"Again, I do not know what you're talking about...Not true Makoto! Your friend's wild-girl meets art school 1980's punk girl look post art school look just startled me when I first re-met her," Mamoru tried defending himself from his best friend's wife, as the brunette's green eyes gave him a a hard look that said 'yeah right'.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that Chiba. Denial! Next you'll tell us that you didn't resort to finding out whether Usagi was single or not by bribing Rei-chan with offering to buy her an extra subscription to some of her favorite romance shojoj manga for girls and romance for women's magazine series for two years. The look of surprise in your eyes tells me you didn't expect Rei not to say anything...she didn't tell Minako since we all know she's the biggest gossiper and would have sold you out without hesitation to Usagi in minutes. But Rei was happy to indulge Ami and I about how you extorted that information about our favorite bunny's love life and other things about her." Makoto grinned as she saw the effect her words had on Mamoru, who was turning a deeper red in his face of embarrassment.

"Me extort Rei Hino? Please! I did no such thing, I just happened to suggest getting her a new subscription for her favorite magazine mangas out of the goodness of my heart...she needed something to occupy her mind when she isn't dealing with Yuuchirou at the temple...sometimes I don't understand how she married him saying she loves him when she keeps complaining about him or whacks him with her brooms. As for Usagi first off, it was her who ran into me on the street when I was making my way here that day...she practically couldn't even see or hear me with how her eyes were glued to whatever comic book she was reading, and her ears being covered in those cd-man headphones on her dumpling bunned ridiculous hairstyle she's still wearing since your middle school days!" he added, recalling how the two had collided with another, he had fallen on top of her briefly before she had shoved him off of her and chewed him out before she had stormed off after calling him a _'Perverted Baka!'_

"Sure, keep telling yourself that buddy. Seriously, you're both adults now; go down to her store to talk to her, she's on a lunch break right now when I called her earlier to see what she was doing. She said something about eating lunch in the shop. Just go down there, buy something in there, then talk to her." Makoto suggested, refilling his cup of coffee as her husband nodded in agreement to the suggestion.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll go talk to her as soon as I'm done with this last cup if it'll shut you both up." Mamoru relented with a defeat in his voice.

* * *

"Just go into that alternative weird toys and clothing store that caters to clueless emo and trendy lunch box hipster teenagers and geeks, and get out after saying a word to her...she probably will ask me to leave." Mamoru mumbled as he took his time slowly walking 4 shops over from Crown Arcade and Cafe Parlor to 'Kamikaze Moon: Comics, Collective Toys, and Vinyls' shop.

Mamoru when he had years ago left during Usagi Tsukino's first year into high school for Harvard in the states to have done much with her life in her future after her education. He had honestly thought she'd barely pass high school, or much less find a career beyond being a food taste tester or comic book reader-reviewer, or something of the sort. However, he was in quite the shock when after having ran into her literally on that first weekend he was back from studying abroad, graduating university and medical school, how wrong his predictions of the feisty-ditsy blonde teenager were. Motoki had with Makoto (his wife, cafe chef/cook, and business partner), had told them all about the girl's accomplishments in the last 6 years. Despite her then looks and appearances of not much potential, Usagi had shown potential once she matured a bit into high school. She found a passion for creative writing and the fine arts classes of art and crafts through teachers and workshop school clubs.

Even Ami the girl genius now doctor, close friend of hers had helped encourage her to seek tutors, which she did. (Mamoru couldn't believe that she managed to apply herself to graduate with a decent average grade GPA to nail her high school diploma.) A year after high school, Makoto had explained that Usagi decided to enroll into Tokyo Community Junior College to major in studying the fine arts with a minor study in creative writing and women's sociology. Creative Writing on top of Women's Sociology had stunned him more than the arts. _"Usagi interested in Sociology...Behavioral Science classes and Creative Writing?!"_ _he had exclaimed when the brunette had told him then_.

" _Yes, I know surprising isn't it? She never really cared for high school, but when she entered into Tokyo's Junior College, she sat down with a counselor and explained what interested her with art, how she liked to express herself through writing and influences of Riot Grrrl Music from American Western 'Riot Grrrl' Feminist Bands over time had perked her interests. So with help from her counselor, taking a Women's History Intro Sociology class and then a Poetry Free Writing class, it all clicked for her," Makoto had explained happily, " Usagi-Chan excelled for her two years at college. She managed to finish two years of all her courses of general classes on top of the art and sociology required course work doubling it up. Tutoring helped her out a lot in things she was weak in, even had some of her written and illustrated collage Zine books and Art Illustration Manga pieces in some student art exhibition shows, and published in the college newspapers. She graduated in the Art Department with her Associate's Degree in Fine Arts along with a certificate in Behavioral Sciences Minor Study in Sociology."_

When the couple had informed him after graduation, Usagi decided to take up minimal jobs part time while living a home with her parents still, it was quite impressive to Mamoru. She had worked a while at the Crown Cafe busting tables when not doing art or zine book making commissions for her classmates when she was attending college. When she grew bored with that job, she politely quit and worked for a month or so in both Starbucks as a barista and then in retail as a clerk at a stationary store. Both jobs again bored her, she got fired from Starbucks after a week when she got caught writing and doodling nonstop on coffee cups. The stationary store job only lasted for two days after Usagi got busted in the back stock room drawing moon universal kingdoms and crescent moon cat armies on extra envelops for fun. However, those inappropriate doodling incidents that led to her being fired had led to her being noticed one day when she had been doodling random little comic-graffiti like battling cats and character-rebellious warrior like girls in Crown Cafe and her friend Naru suggested she take up doing art or illustration doodle commissions as an artist, or offer her art services to any friends who had business in need of freelance artists like her.

Usagi had taken Naru's advice to heart, and within days took a makeshift portfolio filled with her best drawings and handmade zines, and various sketchbooks with her into an old friend's shop by the name of Demando Black. He had been an old friend of hers she had met in the past during her senior year of high school when his younger brother Sapphire had been in her classes and both were in the Art and Anime clubs. The Black brothers family had owned a comic book and toy collectibles shop in Juuban from the time they had moved to Japan from somewhere in Europe where they were originally from. (Their father had been a long time dealer in comic book art vending and comic book convention businesses.) As Mamoru had been told by Makoto and Motoki, once Usagi stepped into their shop and asked Demando to look over her work, asking for a part time job working for them as a shop artist to promoting art for the shop or even work doing other art jobs or helping tidy up the shop; Demando had been sold on her portfolio work and hired her on the spot...as well as her spunky boldness.

Now, when not making flier or zine comic-like books that were published-sold in her friend Demando Black a fellow artist and toy collector's store; she occasional would write online articles for Feminist Art Zines and Art Zine websites, and was the occasional artist-vendor at her own self-ran booth at Tokyo's Zine Art Fests and Women's Feminist Conventions. While her success of an education and profession self-independent and creative had stunned him, Mamoru had been taken aback more by her appearance being so free-spirited as he had recalled seeing her months ago.

The petite-baby fat not lost yet blonde haired awkward teenage girl had been gone. In her place was a Usagi who looked like a woman with curves in all the right places with an hour-glass petite figure. Her long sea of blonde hair was cut shorter in length to her upper thighs, the hair was a mixture of natural corn-blonde with hints of silvery silver and dyed streaks of cherry blossom electric pink feathered in layers almost half-shaved to one side on the left side of her head. It had reminded him of something 1980's pop-rock star women like the American singer Cyndi Lauper would have or Joan Jett of the infamous Runaways would sport hair style wise. The no longer girl now young woman of nineteen going on twenty had been wearing a loose cut up baggy slightly fitted skeleton black and hot pink knitted sweater over a black slip top, and layers upon layers black skirt, long legs covered in fishnet stockings, and ankle black boots. Her hair to her layered punk-like clothes to even her smokey make up of gray ash and baby bright pink eyeliner and eye shadow had looked amazing on her. Usagi had definitely looked grown up, especially with how wild and confident confidence her eyes had held when he had looked into them that day.

 _'Here we go, just look for her, and try talking to her'_ , Mamoru tried pep talking to himself, as he entered into the iron clad entrance gates of the dark and neon styled light sign above the store of 'Kamikaze Moon'.

The inside of the store looked like a cross between a comic book shop and used record store than a toy store, but ten times more darker in how the decor of black painted walls with decorated collector's comics in glass frames, murals of horror and sci-fi film posters, art head busts of vampires, chains, and old film memorabilia with planetary black moons were plastered all over. It could have been any sci-fi geek or in the closet geek goth kid's dream come true stepping into that place. Mamoru could have sworn he was hearing The Cure's 'Lovesong' playing on the store's speakers as he looked around. Demando was sitting behind the counter's main desk and cashier's spot, sporting his usual dark underground Gothic look of black and white layers that went well with his white-baggy locks of hair. He looked occupied with something in his hands, books possibly before his eyes of violet-amethyst stared up at him sharply , lips forming a friendly smile.

"Good afternoon, may I help you Sir?" he asked politely with a professional tone to his voice.

"Afternoon, not sure if you remember me Demando-san, but I'm Motoki-san's friend from Crown Cafe, a friend of Tsukino your employee," Mamoru smiled as he motioned to the said artist bunny's works on the wall, that had an illustration of a princess like figure sitting on a moon with a cat's skull head in her hands.

"Wait, Chiba? Mamoru Chiba? Ah, so you're the one that he told me about, who went to Harvard. Yes, yes, congratulations. You also happen to be the one our dear Usagi-kun talks about all the time to me and Sapphire about...she can never keep quiet about you, and all your accomplishments, even if you upset her at times,'' Demando chuckled, noticing Mamoru's blush, as he got up from his chair to move from behind the desk counter, over to him, offering his hand in a shake.

"Yeah, she is quite the chatter box...is she here?" Mamoru questioned, looking around for said bunny.

"Yes, she's just in the back working in the corner drafting table. We hold lunch breaks there besides using the back offices as an open office and art studio to work at besides using space for inventory or shipping out things for customers. Go right ahead, something tells me she won't mind some company. She's been in there all day working on something, but hasn't said what it is. Oh look, Sapphire just arrived, I need to discuss something with him. Have fun talking to our rabbit Chiba-san." Demando grinned with an amused look that looked slightly mischievous, as he nodded and left him to fend for himself.

"Thanks...I think. There she is...and she has her headphones on again..." Mamoru murmured as he saw Usagi before him in the opened spaced back room, at a drafting table working on something, headphones on her head again.

This time, she was dressed in a t-shirt stitched and fitted t-shirt dress that looked like it used to be a Totoro anime t-shirt with how it looked in faded letters and imagery on the back, with a pair of cut up ripped old denim jeans on, pink socks, and simple all star converse black sneakers on her feet. Her dyed bunned hair was pinned up in what looked to be a skulls patterned crocheted loose beanie on her head. Her make up looked lighter today with light touches of pinks and red eye shadow, and simple pink lipstick that looked smudged...a coffee cup with smudges of lipstick on her drafting table clearly indicated why her lips were messy. Mamoru stood there watching her, knowing she hadn't noticed or heard him enter, she was occupied drawing away on her table.

As he moved closer, he then noticed what she was working on...a collage comic styled portrait...of a very familiar looking man...dressed in a very familiar ugly green coat jacket of pea soup green, with dark ebony hair and familiar blue eyes. The figure was posed sitting on a very nice looking motorcycle bike, with a blond haired girl with a familiar bun haired pig tailed hairstyle in a mock sexy looking sailor like school girl dress meets Wonder Woman type of super hero uniform, crescent moon on her forehead under her bangs, and a white cat eye mask covering her eyes. Words around them in the illustration 'The Moon Heroine gets her guy!'

"There, this looks just like Mamoru-kun Baka and if I was ever the Wonder Woman super hero type...hmm...maybe I should present this to him next time I hit the arcade-cafe to drop off some zine art for Toki and Makoto they asked me to make for them...maybe I'll give him this...then maybe ask him out for a bite sometime...he's still cute even for a baka looking jerk," the blond bunned head girl mused happily to herself, unknowingly that she had an audience.

 _'...Maybe I will take her up on her offer for food...after I tell her how much I like her portrait of me_ ', Mamoru thought to himself, as he smiled, then quietly turned to leave quietly, to head back to Crown.

He could wait a few minutes for his feisty riot grrrl art bunny to arrive...once she was finished with his portrait in pencils and illustration inks.

\- Fin -

There it is, finished. I hope everyone and QueenRisa enjoyed reading this. ^_^

I may write a sequel to this one-shot drabble perhaps if inspiration or anything sparks my interest down the road in the future. Maybe. We'll see.

Until my next drabble, one-shot, or story see ya!


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